Back To Civilisation

We had to be up at 2.40am this morning to get the boat back to Batalla. We knew no-one would have told Eddis we’d be a day later and we were actually happy not to go with him again after last time.

As soon as the boat gets in at Batalla there’s eight or ten pickups there all trying to get you to go back with them on the return journey. Their cars are empty so it is a good chance for them to make money if they take passengers. We found the guy who was giving us his Guarita on the first night and went with him.

His driver was a legend. We tore out of the place as soon as we got in, not a second to waste. Half an hour in we got a flat tyre and I don’t think he had all the tools to change it. We got help from another pickup and before too long we were speeding off down the beach. This guy was doing speeds of up to 60kms per hour along the beach – and it was quite a high tide again.

We didn’t even go on the first pontoon. These guys drive further along and one gets out, walks through the water, if its not too deep, we drive through. It was pretty cool. The whole trip was fast and bumpy but he seemed to be a much more skilled driver than our first and that definitely matters out here.

By 10am we were back in Tocoa and I was hopeful I’d make it to Utila in the same day. We jumped on a chicken bus back to La Ceiba, happy to be on proper roads. Not too long into that journey and there looked like a problem with the bus, smoke was billowing out from the engine in the front of the bus. There were two conductors and they kept having to jump out every ten minutes or so to fill up containers with water to pour into the engine. They took it all in their stride and seemed to be having a bit of fun with the situation.

We got into La Ceiba in heavy rain and a bit later than we should have but that was fine, I would still make it to Utila.

The boat ride to Utila was pretty rough, at least it was a big boat so I didn’t mind too much being almost airborne on some of the waves. Apparently a lot of people get sick on this trip but I don’t think we had any, thankfully.